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Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject: WWII Victory Museum in Auburn, IN

I just stumbled upon this museum website, they have a fairly interesting collection - comes from the former Victory Memorial Museum in Belgium.

www.wwiivictory.org/vehicles.html

Here's what they have in terms of AFVs, some German vehicles you dont typically see over here:

C2P(p) artillery tractor POL/DEU ind
C15 Personnel Carrier CAN ind
Dingo Mk III GBR ind
Loyd Carrier GBR ind
GW 39H(f) Marder I FRA/DEU ind
LVT3 USA ind
M3A1 White USA ind
M3A1 White USA ind
M3A1 White USA ind
M5 High-Speed Tractor USA ind
M8 Greyhound USA ind
M16 GMC USA ind
M18 Hellcat USA ind
M26 Dragon Wagon USA ind
M29C Weasel USA ind
PzJg 38(t) Ausf M Marder III CZE/DEU ind
Renault UE USA ind
Sd.Kfz. 250/5 DEU ind
Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf A DEU ind
Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf C DEU ind
Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf D DEU ind
T16 Universal Carrier USA ind
T24 Weasel USA ind
Neil

JeffStringer · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 637

It's a nice museum with very nicely restored vehicles, mostly soft skinned. There is a M18 and a few self-propelled armor pieces there as well.

Also, attached to the armor section is a museum of automobiles as well for the price of admission gets you into both. Collectables like the car from Knight Rider, the Batmobile, Dukes of Hazzard and some historical race cars too.

A must see place!

Jeff

T26E4 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Apr 14, 2006 Posts: 42

It's located 2.5 hours from Indianapolis, Detroit and Chicago --- equidistant from each of them. If you're in any of those areas, it's worth the day trip to see what they have: 155 vehicles (not including arty pieces). Amazing collection.

Roy Chow

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

that is what i have been trying to tell all of you fellas for quite some time now. say, T26E4, you have been there recently? when i went there shortly after its opening, i was able to get behind closed doors. it was discussed that the various "politically affiliated" items were going to be displayed, but they werent sure how to do it and not offend anyone in the process. so if you have been there at least this last summer, T26E4, do they have any of the nazi party vehicles on display?

i thought i had an over abundance of military web gear and "junk", but after being able to, say look thru, what they have, i have very little. and if you collect german militaria, oh my god, i would like very much to have some of the items, cuff titles, etc. that they have. to handle the tunics that they think belonged to certain "germans", was very interesting to say the least...

neil, if interested i can scan/post the pics i took of the museum for you...
if possible you really need to see the place, well worth it...

shawn

Geoff_walden · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 26, 2006 Posts: 133

Shawn,

There are several German vehicles on display now - I was there last month. In addition to what Neil listed, they have a Pak 40 auf Hotchkiss, Pak 40 auf RSO, other RSOs, nice Flak 36, lots of motorcycles, Bussing-NAG 3.7cm Flak auf SWS (this one is labeled as the only example in the world today).

They don't seem to have any problem with displaying Nazi items. There is a large period painting of Hitler hanging in the main entryway, and there are some militaria items on display, although the display cases are far from full and the displays far from complete - the museum is still a work in progress.

Geoff Walden

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

hey geoff, that is right, that stuff was there. but they showed me two autos, i believe they were the 770-K mercedes (does that sound right, i dont know my autos). they had wanted to display them. one was thought to be Goering's... were they on display?
i wasnt allowed to take photos of anything behind the doors, i could look, i could fondle with the white gloves but no pics.
they had manequin heads out on the floor of famous leaders/generals. do they have hitler, rommel, patton, churchill, etc. out on display?
shawn

Geoff_walden · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 26, 2006 Posts: 133

Hi Shawn,

No, I didn't see any car from Goering or any other Nazi brass - I only had time to go into the military section though - it might have been in the Auto museum. I also didn't see any mannequins of famous folk ... wait ... I think they DID have a Patton figure. (I was kinda rushed while going thru there, so really didn't have the time that should have been devoted to really see the whole thing.) But for sure, no Hitler or Rommel or Churchill.

Geoff

DanFong · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 10

I visited the museum this summer and found it to be very interesting with many rare pieces in the collection. But all was not kosher there. Below are pictures of some possibly bogus vehicles. I don't recall anything on the placard saying they were reproductions.

7.5cm PaK40 auf 39H(f) The gunshield is welded to the gun tube and there is no apperture for the gunsight.

15cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Sf (SdKfz 4/1) The suspension is made up from bren gun carrier components. Looking through the open back door revealed that there was nothing under the launcher turret.

BruceClark · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 109

But all was not kosher there..

Gents,
Much of this collection came from Guy Arendt's Victory Museum in Arlon, Belgium.
While they are lovely to look at be very careful using these as references-many of these vehicles never existed during WWII. M. Arendt constructed many seemingly "rare" German vehicles using various chassis, wheels, sheet metal and imagination- the 2 vehicles Dan references above are perfect example.

These are not museum restorations- they are recreations.

Cheers!
Bruce

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

hello bruce,
so true. i like to model in 1/35, guy liked to model in 1:1. how nice.

yes the 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Sf (SdKfz 4/1) was/has been discussed earlier as the one used and remod several times over for "bridge too far" and "force 10 from navarone".

it was still interesting to go poking thru and see what they got.

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

more vismods...

Neil_Baumgardner

- DanFong

I visited the museum this summer and found it to be very interesting with many rare pieces in the collection. But all was not kosher there. Below are pictures of some possibly bogus vehicles. I don't recall anything on the placard saying they were reproductions.

7.5cm PaK40 auf 39H(f) The gunshield is welded to the gun tube and there is no apperture for the gunsight.

The running gear & chassis looks right, no? Is it just the superstructure that has been vismoded?

neil

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